Washington, DC – Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to improve election security. The Defending the Integrity of Voting Systems Act would make it a federal crime to hack any voting systems used in a federal election.
“Russia and other hostile actors are constantly bombarding the cyber defenses of American voting systems and other critical infrastructure in an attempt to sow chaos,” said Whitehouse. “Protecting the very instruments of our democracy from interference is vital to the functioning of the nation and should be the goal of every member of Congress.”
“As the Special Counsel’s report on Russian interference demonstrates, America’s elections infrastructure is the frontline of foreign governments’ efforts to subvert our democracy,” Blumenthal said. “Our legislation to protect voting machines will better equip the Department of Justice to fight back against hackers that intend to interfere with our elections. This bill shows that securing the nation’s elections and cyber infrastructure can be a bipartisan cause. With a strong vote out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I call for quick passage on the Senate floor.”
“Today is a very good day for the Judiciary Committee,” said Graham. “This legislation will make it a federal crime to hack into a state voting system, whether or not it is connected to the internet. I am very pleased with the committee’s performance in trying to secure our elections as we head into the 2020 presidential election.”
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